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The kids are back, and so is the masked murderer that hunts them. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett ’s (aka Radio Silence ) newest chapter in the “Scream” franchise finds the latest generation of Woodsboro survivors setting up a new life in New York City, far away from the suburban shadow of Ghostface. Unfortunately, their peace is short-lived. This is, after all, “Scream VI.” 

The movie opens with the killing of a film professor, and as the body count quickly escalates, Samantha Carpenter ( Melissa Barrera ), her sister, Tara ( Jenna Ortega ), and twins Mindy ( Jasmin Savoy Brown ) and Chad ( Mason Gooding ) prepare to escape, but they’re not fast enough for this new Ghostface. Joined by other returning characters Gale Weathers ( Courteney Cox ) and Kirby Reed ( Hayden Panettiere ) as well as a slew of newcomers including Anika ( Devyn Nekoda ), Josh (Danny Brackett), Ethan ( Jack Champion ), Quinn ( Liana Liberato ), and Detective Bailey ( Dermot Mulroney ), the newly minted “core four” will have to face off against the killer(s) once again, this time in the heart of the Big Apple. 

As far as “Scream” sequels go, we’ve seen worse, but the wear and tear of the years are showing on Ghostface’s mask. The script is serviceable but surface-level, bringing up interesting ideas but never following though on them. The movie mentions trauma and how characters cope early on, but those concerns almost immediately evaporate when the nightly news announces the first murders. Aside from horror nerd sight gags like costumes from other scary movies in the background and Easter egg references to horror directors and movie podcasts, “Scream VI” doesn't have much to say about horror fandom itself—which in the case of this movie, turns extremely toxic and deadly. While Wes Craven ’s original “Scream” was the first in the series to poke fun at the genre’s tropes, these latest installments have doubled down on the meta explanation of horror movie rules without much of a point. By now, they’re almost for comedic effect, an “if you know, you know” reference for the audience to nod and laugh in recognition, not much for cutting-edge meta-commentary. Dare I say, that’s been done to death. 

Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt ’s script runs out of steam, but between the first kill and the movie’s climatic showdown, there are a number of suspenseful set pieces where Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett prove there’s still some life left in the series. In one standout moment, Ghostface tracks the group to where Sam, Tara, and Quinn live. He picks off a few, but a trio manages to barricade themselves in a room and, with the help of a lovestruck neighbor and a ladder, now have a chance to climb across to safety. The tension is perfectly executed, the kind of sequence that makes a person hold their breath to see if all poor souls pull through. Another moment occurs when one of the main characters finds themselves staring at Ghostface, looking at her in a crowded train, and is helpless to defend herself. The feeling of being targeted in plain sight is effectively chilling and haunting.

However, one name sorely missing from this cast is none other than franchise regular Sidney Prescott ( Neve Campbell ). Cambell said she didn’t receive a financial offer adequate enough for her return, and in a movie that worships its own lore, missing this significant piece of the series feels like a misstep. In Campbell’s absence, Cox enjoys more of the spotlight, finally getting a call from Ghostface and fighting another round with the killer. But the biggest breakout star of the new incarnation of “Scream” movies remains Jenna Ortega, whose smudged mascara and sharp one-liners jolt every scene she’s in with electricity. This time, she’s given a few good chances to land some solid punches and kicks, a change from the last movie, where she spent most of the runtime fairly wounded. 

In a shocking twist, the most disappointing appearance is New York City itself, which perhaps has the distinction of being the least convincing version of NYC this side of Vancouver. With Montreal playing dress up as New York, it's hard to look past alleyways that don’t exist or the made-up stops that cover for other well-known locations, like Blackmore College in lieu of Brooklyn College at the end of the 2 and 5 lines. While the filmmakers utilize certain aspects of the city—like a bodega confrontation with Ghostface, and apartments facing each other for a little “ Rear Window ” suspense scene—other parts felt detached from the city, with no sense of the skyline or place, disorienting this New Yorker. Even out-of-towners might notice a few missing major landmarks otherwise present in other movies. 

As far as sequels go, “Scream VI” is a strange, self-referential beast, a snake eating its own tail with nothing left. What will it take to give it fresh blood and move forward? For now, we have a horror movie that tickles a nostalgic funny bone, a chiller with some good scares and cheesy lines that earn more laughter than screams, and yes, a snippet of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ “Red Right Hand.” I don’t begrudge anyone who seeks the simple pleasures of an old-fashioned slasher; I was just hoping for a little more meat to go with the movie’s buckets of blood.

Now playing only in theaters. 

Monica Castillo

Monica Castillo is a critic, journalist, programmer, and curator based in New York City. She is the Senior Film Programmer at the Jacob Burns Film Center and a contributor to  RogerEbert.com .

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Scream VI (2023)

Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and brief drug use.

123 minutes

Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter

Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter

Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin

Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin

Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers

Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed

Dermot Mulroney as Detective “Wayne” Bailey

Liana Liberato as Quinn Bailey

Jack Champion as Ethan Landry

Devyn Nekoda as Anika Kayoko

Josh Segarra as Danny Brackett

Samara Weaving as Laura Crane

Tony Revolori as Jason Carvey

• Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
• Tyler Gillett

Writer (based on characters created by)

• Kevin Williamson
• James Vanderbilt

Cinematographer

• Brett Jutkiewicz
• Jay Prychidny
• Sven Faulconer
• Brian Tyler

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Scream 6 Review

Say it with me: core four.

This is a spoiler-free review of Scream VI, which releases in theaters March 15, 2023.

“Rebootquels will continue until morale improves” would be a great opener to this review, but I regret to inform the naysayers that morale is quite high and RadioSilence’s continuation of the Scream franchise is still going strong. In fact, it’s even better than Scream (2022) — which I gave a 9/10 for breathing life back into the franchise — though, there is one slight pitfall that keeps the sixth entry from achieving the elusive 10. But, while it is the Sidney Prescott of it all, it’s not what you think.

Part of what made Scream (2022) so successful was that it took the old, the new, and built the perfect foundation for a story that could continue without its original final girl (a task many horror franchises have tried and mostly failed ). Scream 6 capitalizes on that, focusing on the return of Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and fan-favorite Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) as the legacies, and letting the “new” cast do its thing. The problem isn’t the absence of Neve Campbell’s Sidney, though. It’s that said absence is explained in a throwaway line that’s about as well delivered as it was written. Writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick nail it when it comes to everything else in this new chapter, but that particular explanation was handled about as well as Neve’s contract negotiations .

Sid’s absence does play into the overall theme of the film, though. Scream has always been about subverting horror tropes and playing in a space that both mocks and reveres its genre in equal measure. That continues in Scream 6, but this time it’s not about tackling horror as a whole. This time it’s full meta, and the butt of the joke is Scream itself. You’ll see plenty of shoutouts to your horror favorites both old and new sprinkled throughout the movie (you already saw plenty of them in the trailer alone), and none of the self-exploration feels over-the-top or like it’s making a mockery of Wes Craven’s legacy. Instead, it’s simply having a laugh at the tropes that the franchise itself has helped create in its own right after nearly 30 years and six entries. Some of the rules apply, but others? Others no longer matter at all. And are you going to have a blast learning which rule fits where.

Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) delivers her now customary monologue to give you a few hints on those rules. It’s a little redundant, mirroring Scream (2022) more than any other moment in the new film, but effective all the same. We’re not going to get into the nitty gritty of that monologue, but one thing the young Meeks-Martin highlights is that the gore must be amplified in a rebootquels’ sequel, and boy is it ever! The hits (stabs) just keep on coming, and no one is safe. The Core Four™ take more of a beating than the original three ever did, and there’s never any real way of knowing who will manage to limp their way to the closing credits.

The heart and soul of Scream 6 is that aforementioned Core Four (made up of the Meeks-Martin twins and the Carpenter sisters). This chapter very intentionally ditches the standard Scream trope of splitting up its protagonists between movies to have them come together at the end of the first act and instead focuses on a story that keeps the survivors connected the whole time. This doesn’t just lead to you caring more about the main characters, but the people they love as well. Mindy’s only known her girlfriend Anika (Devyn Nekoda) for six months, but you’re concerned about her safety because you’re worried about a member of the Core Four’s wellbeing. The same can be said for Danny (Josh Segarra), Quinn (Liana Liberto) and Ethan (Jack Champion), but you’ll have to check out the movie to learn more about their connections to our leads!

Scream 6 delivers with its secondary characters more than any franchise entry before it, as a matter of fact. And while some of the praise belongs to the closeness the writers give us to the Core Four, a not insignificant amount of the credit needs to go to the aforementioned actors. We’ve always loved Sid, Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale, but gone are the Mickeys (Timothy Olyphant) and Dereks (Jerry O’Connell) of Scream 2. It’d be a joy to see any of these players show their faces again in Scream 7, even if some are, well… quite dead.

While the character-driven story of Scream 6 is the primary reason for its success, it’s far from the only one. Some of the set pieces in this chapter will take your breath away, whether it’s the immaculate representation of an unbearably claustrophobic subway car or the jarring illustration of a person’s obsession in the Stab trophy room. Hell, even the confined space of Sam and Tara’s (Jenna Ortega) cramped apartment will get you in the New York state of mind (even if the film was shot in Montreal). Brett Jutkiewicz’s cinematography doesn’t disappoint, either. There are several scenes in the third act that marry the beautiful and the macabre in very exciting ways. This is especially true of the trophy room. Just the gift that keeps on giving, that!

Emotions and brutality are at an all-time high in Scream 6, setting it up to be the best sequel in the franchise yet. Though it does ultimately fumble the reason for Sidney Prescott’s absence, RadioSilence has officially proven that there’s a future for the franchise with or without its original final girl by giving us strong connections to the new Core Four.

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Scream VI’s latest meta twist: justifying the whole Scream franchise

Radio Silence keeps Ghostface’s horror series lively, but uses it to talk about why we still need horror series

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Scream VI feels like a confident turning point for a long-running self-referential slasher series, though what that series is becoming remains tantalizingly unclear. For close to a quarter-century, the Scream sequels were playing defense. Director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson had a back-to-back one-two punch with the success of the first two movies, but Scream 3 was delayed and met middling reactions from the fans. Eleven years later, with Scream 4 , Craven and Williamson tried to wrap their heads around a new generation thirsting for social-media notoriety, and those younger audiences didn’t seem to care much.

Another 11 years after that, 2022’s newly rechristened Scream addressed the proliferation of legacy sequels in the horror genre and beyond. It was a hit with audiences and critics, which meant the inevitable sequel, 2023’s Scream VI , is the first genuinely fast-tracked Scream since Scream 2 was rushed to theaters. Suddenly, Scream is an A-list horror series again. Or in the corporate parlance winkingly applied in Scream VI , it’s now a franchise , a never-ending cycle of fan service subject to its own set of rules and conventions.

But when Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), niece of the early films’ dearly departed movie geek Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), holds court to deliver a hyper-nerdy treatise on the rules of franchises, the material isn’t as rich as her explanation of “requels” (or legacy sequels) from the previous movie. Her vague guidelines for franchises — particularly the idea that new franchise entries must go bigger to top the previous films — aren’t that different from the sequel rules Randy laid out back in Scream 2 .

This being a Scream movie, it’s possible that this rehash of the 1997 movie is another wink at horror audiences, a nod to how Scream VI can assert itself as a major franchise entry while still eventually circling back to familiar ’90s slashings. It’s also entirely possible that directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, are already growing weary of film-culture commentary. Two different Scream VI characters voice this theory: “The movies don’t matter,” one says. Ghostface himself puts it even more bluntly: “Who gives a fuck about movies?”

The answer to this rhetorical question is pretty much just Mindy. For Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), daughter of original killer Billy Loomis and survivor of the 2022 Scream , this stuff is too real. She’s still processing the trauma of her boyfriend plotting to murder her, and feeling fiercely protective of her little sister, Tara (Jenna Ortega), as they embark on a fresh start in New York City. Tara just wants to have some college fun, while Sam fumes over internet rumors that she was the real villain of the previous film’s events, victimizing her psycho ex — a clever riff on the way parasocial relationships often form online. Mindy and her brother, Chad (Mason Gooding), have also graduated in New York, and the group’s social circle broadens to include Mindy’s girlfriend, Anika (Devyn Nekoda), Sam and Tara’s roommate, Quinn (Liana Liberato), and Chad’s roommate, Ethan (Jack Champion).

Naturally, these new characters, along with everyone else in the movie, turn into suspects when someone in a Ghostface mask starts slashing people up. From there, the film launches a series of frequent (and frequently ridiculous) hairpin turns. There’s a twisty variation on the classic Scream cold open, featuring some familiar faces, though not franchise regulars. There are fewer legacy characters than last time: Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) is the only returning cast member from the original three movies. But don’t think of this as a soft reboot, not with Scream 4 fan fave Kirby (Hayden Panettiere) back in action.

In spite of the game attempts at maintaining and enriching five previous films’ worth of continuity, there’s a sense that Scream VI is casting about for what the franchise might look like in a culture where moviegoing doesn’t hold the same place of mass-audience supremacy it once did. Cross-media franchises don’t necessarily dominate cultural conversation anymore, but the filmmakers obviously still love scary movies. The film’s best sequence, a Halloween subway ride where the heroes cast suspicious eyes on dozens of menacingly costumed NYC citizens (including several in Ghostface masks, naturally), is packed with visual references to genre classics.

They also make sure to include a clip of Jason Takes Manhattan , the Friday the 13th series trip to New York that notoriously expends much of its running time on a boat, rather than the city streets. (Carrying on a piece of that tradition, Scream VI was mostly and obviously not shot in New York.) Horror fans will have fun at this film. At the same time, the filmmakers — a collaborative team collectively known as Radio Silence — have crafted more of a jump-scare action movie than an atmospheric horror-thriller, not unlike their 2019 horror-comedy Ready or Not .

To be fair, the Scream movies have never been the kind of psychological slow-burners Tara claims she loves in the 2022 Scream . But Scream VI particularly emphasizes fights and chases, with a Terminator-like Ghostface whose stabbing power seems especially vicious. (To combat this power-up, his victims have mysteriously become more adept than ever at surviving gnarly, repeated wounds.) There are advantages to this approach. Scream VI is more streamlined than the slightly scattered fifth movie, with the established and extremely likable “core four” of new characters fully taking center stage. The satirical stuff isn’t as funny or pointed as the previous film’s riffs on toxic fandom, but the film is a better showcase for Sam and Tara as actual characters. Barrera, with her sleepy-eyed angst over her murderous family history, and Ortega, with her irresistible wariness, make a fine pair of neo-gothic siblings stuck relying on each other.

The family bond is what the movie eventually settles on to drive home its themes, pushing the story further away from movie-world commentary. Again, maybe this is meant to reflect the diminishment of cinema at a time when so many movies are treated as content-mill distractions. “It’s all about true-crime limited series these days,” Gale laments about her inability to sell movie rights to her previous book (though this movie’s portrait of NYC law enforcement, removed from the small-town folksiness of Woodsboro, is amusingly preposterous). The movie briefly touches upon cultural legacies, forever franchises, weirdo collectors, and fandom again, but none of it really sticks.

And the fate of much-hyped returnee Kirby might provide a chilling warning to Sam and Tara: It’s neat to see Panettiere again, but her somewhat awkward role as a hotshot FBI agent shows how difficult it can be to square youthful slasher-movie heroes with lived-in real-world experience. The Scream series may not be equipped for a transition into more character-driven plotting.

Is this a problem? While viewers are mid-movie, not especially. Like the other Scream sequels in general, this one makes for a zippy Saturday night at the movies, and for now, it’s still easy to imagine some characters returning for another go-round in a year or two. (Any franchise that perpetuates Jenna Ortega’s scream-queen reign should get a pass to continue.) But fans looking for a definitive explanation of how this non-supernatural slasher will outfox the era of the forever franchise, where nothing stays dead no matter how many people get killed, will come away empty-handed. Where 2022’s Scream showed how the series could keep adapting and changing to fit new cinematic trends, this one hints at how unsustainable franchise maintenance can feel over the long term, even for a series that’s enjoying its deserved resurgence in creativity and popularity. Suddenly, the Scream movies feel like they’re back playing defense again.

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Scream 6 review: a bloodier, better sequel

“With Scream 6, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett deliver a slasher thrill ride that's better than the duo's 2022 soft reboot in every possible way.”

• Several memorably intense set pieces
• An unpredictable, thrilling prologue
• A likable ensemble of heroes
• A slightly disappointing third-act villain reveal
• A rushed final battle
• Hit-and-miss social commentary throughout

Contrary to what its reputation may suggest, the Scream franchise has never been as interested in reinventing the wheel as it is in polishing it up a little and sending it rolling back down the hill. That’s been true ever since the franchise’s debut installment hit theaters in 1996 and introduced the concept of the meta-slasher horror film, and it’s still true in   Scream 6 . The new film comes one year after last year’s Scream , which saw the horror franchise move on from the death of original director Wes Craven by passing the directorial reins over to production company Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

In its stellar opening minutes, Scream 6 feints at reinvention. After opening with the death of yet another unsuspecting blonde (played by an underutilized Samara Weaving, the star of Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s 2019 horror comedy Ready or Not ), Scream 6 does what no other Scream film has before: It reveals the face of its first victim’s killer. For a few shocking moments, it seems like the film is going to do away with the franchise’s usual  structure in favor of a Columbo -esque “howcatchem” plot where viewers, for the first time in Scream history, know who the killer is all along.

It’s not much of a spoiler to say that’s not what ultimately happens. Instead, Scream 6 subverts its viewers’ expectations yet again just minutes later with a double-murder that sets the film back on a familiar narrative track. Fortunately, while it’s easy to imagine a world in which Scream 6 followed through more directly on the promise of its opening minutes, what emerges is a horror comedy that’s just as intense, brutal, and genuinely thrilling as any other Scream movie that’s been released this century.

Scream 6 picks up a year after the events of its 2022 predecessor. When the film begins, Scream 5 ’s survivors, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding) have all made the wise decision to leave their hometown of Woodsboro, California, behind in favor of college life in New York City. Unfortunately for them, it isn’t long before the already fragile peacefulness of their lives is shattered by the emergence of a new Ghostface killer — one who considers it their mission to make the world believe that it was Barrera’s Sam who actually committed the heinous murders of Scream 5 .

In order to do so, Ghostface relentlessly hunts and attacks Sam, Tara, Mindy, Chad (known in the film as the “core four”), and the rest of their loved ones. While Scream 6 introduces a handful of new characters, it also brings back two more familiar faces in the form of recurring Scream reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Scream 4 standout Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere). Following the first of the film’s Ghostface murders, Kirby arrives in New York City with an FBI badge, a gun, and an offer to help Sam, Tara, and the rest of the core four take down their latest would-be killer.

Scream 6 , in other words, follows the same basic formula as the franchise’s five past installments. Even the film’s loose college setting creates an unlikely link between it and 1997’s Scream 2 . The only iconic element missing from the new film, in fact, is Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). The original Scream final girl notably doesn’t appear in Scream 6 as a result of some behind-the-scenes contract disputes between Campbell and the film’s producers. While Scream 6 ’s attempt to explain Sidney’s absence rings inevitably hollow, it surprisingly doesn’t affect the film much one way or the other.

Scream 6 ’s success without Campbell is partly due to how well its ensemble works together on screen. As Sam Carpenter, the franchise’s potential Sidney stand-in, Barrera seems to have a much better grip on her character here than she did in Scream 5 . Opposite her, Ortega and Gooding make the biggest impressions of the film’s core four cast members, turning in performances that feel grounded despite the inherently heightened nature of the material they’re dealing with in Scream 6 . Savoy Brown doesn’t fare quite as well as Mindy, who comes across even flatter here than she did in Scream 5 . Elsewhere, both Panettiere and Cox turn in comfortable, confident performances as their respective Scream veterans.

Cox, in particular, is given a real chance to shine in Scream 6 . The actress is at the center of one of the film’s best sequences, which follows Cox’s Gale as she is forced to try and defend herself from a violent Ghostface home invasion. While the film makes the most out of its cast members, it’s ultimately Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett who make Scream 6 truly sing. The directing duo turns up the violence and tension in their second Scream outing, delivering a slasher thrill ride that’s not only bloodier and gorier than its predecessor, but more aggressively intense and set piece-driven.

The duo’s heightened approach to Scream 6 results in some of the most memorable set pieces in the horror franchise’s history, in fact. From one nerve-wracking escape sequence that makes great use of the space between New York City apartment complexes to a violent bodega shootout and a tense Halloween night subway ride, Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin repeatedly prove their understanding of how confined spaces can make certain scenes that much scarier. The same goes for the duo’s ingenious use of sound design throughout the film. One particularly memorable sequence uses the sound of a door being relentlessly pounded against to gradually ratchet up the film’s tension until it reaches unbearable heights.

In between these moments of tension, James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick’s script packs in moments of meta humor that, in typical Scream fashion, land and miss with almost the same amount of frequency. For instance, a monologue from Savoy Brown’s Mindy about the rules of Hollywood “requels” doesn’t have the same amount of acidic bite as, say, a moment when Ghostface interrogates Gale over the phone about what it’s been like to play “second fiddle” to Campbell’s Sidney over the years. As was the case in its 2022 predecessor, Scream 6 ’s climactic reveal doesn’t work as well as some of the franchise’s past third-act twists, either.

The actor responsible for delivering Scream 6 ’s final twist does, however, do so with a level of deranged camp intensity that is, frankly, commendable. While the film occasionally struggles to make its biggest narrative beats hit as well as intended, there’s never a sense that Scream 6 doesn’t know exactly what kind of experience it’s meant to provide. Like so many of the Scream outings that have come before it, the film is a reminder of just how thrilling well-made slasher flicks can still be. Even if it never swings for anything more than that, Scream 6 still manages to cut deep.

Scream 6 is now playing in theaters.

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‘scream vi’ review: ghostface strikes again in the franchise’s goriest, most meta entry yet.

The killer is back to wreak murderous havoc in this latest installment, featuring Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox and newbie Dermot Mulroney.

By Frank Scheck

Frank Scheck

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Considering that the truly clever meta-ness of the 1996 original has now become curdled with repetition, the Scream franchise has proven surprisingly durable. By now, the formula is as familiar as the clichéd horror films it satirizes. In between the savage murders committed by Ghostface, the characters knowingly point out the tropes being employed or turned upside-down, providing expert commentary that the audiences could write themselves by now.

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This edition, sporting a Roman numeral in its title for the first time, reunites the four surviving lead characters from its immediate predecessor. And just to spare us the labor of coming up with a nickname for them, one of them provides it himself, dubbing the group the “Core Four.” They consist of Sam ( Melissa Barrera ), the illegitimate daughter of Billy Loomis, the first killer in the series; her half-sister, Tara ( Jenna Ortega , whose star has recently risen thanks to her witty comic turn as the title character in Netflix’s Wednesday ); Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), the most franchise-conscious member of the group; and her twin brother, Chad (Mason Gooding).

Shortly after the horrific events of the last film, the quartet has decamped to New York City, although you’d think they would know better since they no doubt have seen Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan . They probably thought they were safe because Scream VI was shot entirely in Montreal, with zero effort to make it look remotely like the Big Apple. (Sorry, putting up a few fake street and subway signs doesn’t cut it these days.)

Spoiler alert: They’re soon mixing it up with Ghostface again, although he looks somewhat the worse for wear, sporting a visibly aged mask that suggests 27 years of slashing is starting to take its toll. The co-directors and screenwriters, all veterans of last year’s Scream , up the ante this time. This film is the longest in the series, and seems to contain the most frequent and goriest kills.

As is the series’ wont, this edition brings back several veteran characters, including Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers , who gets a face-off with Ghostface that proves one of the film’s highlights, and Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Read , now an FBI agent. Their appearances got big applause from the audience at the screening I attended, who clearly have a soft spot for any character who can survive for more than one film. Although, as an unbilled cameo from another franchise vet demonstrates, being dead is no obstacle to return appearances. The only insurmountable factor would be a failed contract negotiation, but the absence of franchise mainstay Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is treated respectfully here. “She deserves to have a happy ending,” one of the characters comments. And as in all the previous films, Roger L. Jackson, his vocal creepiness seemingly ageless, provides the voice of Ghostface.

There are several new characters, including Chad’s geeky roommate, Ethan (Jack Champion, Avatar: The Way of Water ); Sam and Tara’s “sex positive” roommate, Quinn (Liana Liberato); their hunky, frequently shirtless neighbor (Josh Segarra); and a detective (Dermot Mulroney) assigned to the Ghostface killings, who develops a very personal stake in tracking him down. Needless to say, any of them could turn out to actually be Ghostface, since the franchise’s whodunit aspect has become a major ingredient.

Screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick admittedly provide some witty dialogue that is a Scream trademark. When Sam has a session with her shrink (Henry Czerny), she describes a past experience thusly: “I stabbed him 22 times and slit his throat. And then I shot him in the head. But that’s not why I’m here.” And as usual, we’re treated to running meta-commentary on such things as the “rules of a continuing franchise,” “sequels to requels,” and — my favorite — Gale’s denial when accused of wanting to turn the group’s travails into a movie. “It’s all about true-crime limited series these days,” she sniffs.    

This is a franchise with its head so far up its own behind, though, that this installment includes a plot element about a “shrine” to itself, located in an abandoned movie theater and featuring props and other paraphernalia from the films that preceded it. Don’t be surprised if the touring exhibition comes to your city soon.

Ultimately, Scream VI delivers exactly what the fans expect, which is more of the same. To its credit, it seems perfectly happy to deride itself. “Who gives a fuck about movies?” Ghostface exclaims at one point. “Fuck this franchise,” says one of his victims before possibly expiring. What, are they trying to make movie critics obsolete?

Full credits

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Scream 6 Is Bigger and Bloodier — But Does That Make It Better?

Ghostface takes Manhattan in a scary, fun, and messy new sequel.

There probably never should have been a Scream sequel. (How do you top the smartest horror movie ever made? Spoiler alert: You can’t.) But as its title makes clear, that’s not Scream 6 ’s fault.

A franchise was inevitable, and in the latest entry from returning directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Scream grapples directly with what it means to be a franchise anyway. The answer isn’t quite as clever as the movie wants us to think it is, but it also thankfully doesn’t get in the way of delivering a top-tier slasher movie that will keep you guessing all the way until its baffling final twist.

Scream 6 is a movie deeply obsessed with the history of Ghostface, but that obsession can’t make up for the movie’s failure to produce an intriguing new addition to horror-villain canon. Despite its lackluster villain, Scream 6 manages to tell an entertaining and genuinely scary story that Scream fans will be re-watching for years to come.

Scream 6 picks up soon after the events of 2022’s Scream “requel” (which we can all now admit was always really just Scream 5 ). The “core four” survivors (Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter, Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin, and Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin) have relocated to New York. Most of them are attending a made-up college and going to frat parties, while Melissa tries to process the trauma of killing her serial-killer boyfriend Richie while also acting as an over-protective parental figure to her half-sister.

Things seem to be going mostly OK — until Ghostface returns. In a clever twist, Scream 6 opens with a classic blond female victim getting sliced up (Samara Wiley as a horror movie professor who fails to follow her own lesson plan and walks into a dark alley alone) only to immediately have her killer remove his own mask. Turns out there’s an entire Ghostface cult (complete with a shrine full of artifacts, including every Ghostface mask), but its leader quickly cuts down these impostors and sets out on a bloody murder spree with his sights set on the Carpenter half-sisters.

Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter and Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter in Scream 6 .

The resulting 122 minutes are classic slasher fun. There’s no shortage of stabbing, gore, guts, and jump scares as Ghostface stalks the “core four” while they attempt to stalk him back. Unfortunately, while this iteration of Ghostface will keep you guessing until the very end, the movie’s big Scooby-Doo reveal ( who’s behind the mask this time? ) feels half-baked and rushed.

As a movie, Scream 6 ranks near the top of the franchise. It delivers the thrill, violence, and whodunnit mystery the franchise was built on, all cranked up to 11. But the meta-commentary here is basic at best, and its Ghostface is one of the worst. (Weird for a movie practically obsessed with exploring the various killers who’ve worn that mask.)

The decision to set Scream 6 in NY is an interesting one (and a nod to Scream 2 moving the action from Woodsboro to a college campus), but it doesn’t add much to the experience. A creepy subway scene marketed heavily in the trailers is blood-curdling fun, and the controversial bodega-shotgun sequence is better than you’d expect. Aside from that, however, most of the movie takes place on generic interior sets and a made-up college campus that might as well be located in middle-of-nowhere New England.

The “core four” in Scream 6 .

Of course, the most important hallmark of any Scream movie is its meta-commentary. Wes Craven practically invented the concept with his quasi-self-parody New Nightmare and then perfected it in 1996 with Scream , in which horror-addicted teens discussed the rules of surviving a scary movie, proceeded to break those rules, and swiftly died. Since then, each film has riffed on the genre in its own way, with mixed results. Scream 5 introduced the term “requel” to cleverly define the current horror landscape, but Scream 6 is slightly less ambitious in its concept. As Mindy (still holding her own as an excellent Randy stand-in) explains, this is a franchise now, which means the violence is bigger and anyone can die in the service of IP — even legacy characters, gasp!

What this ultimately boils down to is a half-hearted horror spin on Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. Scream 6 brings back both franchise standby Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) from the generally forgotten Scream 4 . The movie wants you to be excited when these characters interact, but watching Mindy and Kirby talking about their favorite horror movies doesn’t work anywhere near as well as Captain America and Spider-Man trading quips in the MCU. After all, at the end of the day, we’re here for Ghostface. (If Scream 6 should be compared to any franchise, it’s probably Fast and Furious due to the constantly repeated point that everyone who’s survived a Scream movie is one big family. Vin Diesel would be proud.)

Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) has never kicked this much ass.

That’s not to say the cast doesn’t do their best. Jenna Ortega continues to be the one true scream queen of the moment, Jasmin Savoy Brown will remind you why you’re so excited for Yellowjackets Season 2, and Courteney Cox has never been more badass.

But at the end of the day, the star of Scream 6 is the franchise itself. After all, no one is buying Gale Weathers action figures, but Ghostface masks keep flying off the shelves. And in a story where anyone can die at any time (and often do), maybe that’s a good thing.

Scream 6 stalks into theaters on March 10.

‘Scream VI’ Review: Ghostface Slices Through NYC in This Nostalgia-Filled Blast

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The Scream movies have always been about looking at the past and utilizing our shared knowledge of horror films to create new nightmares out of that awareness. In Scream , the girl in distress doesn’t just run away from the killer by going upstairs instead of running outside. After all, she’s seen countless movies that tell her this is a terrible idea, yet she continues to still make the poor decision. This self-awareness has made Scream one of the most fun slasher series, as each additional entry can use new trends in horror and films in general to examine the culture of the time. But with the first Scream coming out almost thirty years ago, this series has also become a part of this culture as well, with now six films, a TV show, an entire parody franchise with the Scary Movie series, and Ghostface has even appeared in Call of Duty . Hell, these stories are even iconic within the Scream movies , as the fictional Stab franchise retells the events of previous films. Basically, if someone made a reference-heavy horror film in 2023, it would be hard to not include Scream as part of that.

Much in the way that the first Scream made A Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween part of its influence, Scream VI similarly uses its own history as part of Ghostface’s games. Scream —especially in the more recent installments—has always referenced itself, characters of the past, and the way previous Ghostfaces have attacked, but with this latest film, it feels more ingrained, more integral to the story at hand. Thanks to Randy ( Jamie Kennedy ) and several other slasher experts throughout this franchise, we know the rules, and Scream VI knows we know the rules, so this newest film can have fun breaking down this series, reconfiguring our expectations, playing with the rules they’ve set up, and attempting to subvert our expectations. The result is maybe the best Scream film since Scream 2 —which is fitting, considering this is, by and large, a “requel” of that first sequel.

Much like Scream 2 , Scream VI takes this series away from Woodsboro and to college, as the “Core Four” that survived the events of 2022’s Scream have moved to New York City. Sam ( Melissa Barrera ) is overprotective over her half-sister Tara ( Jenna Ortega ) after the end of the previous film left them the survivors of the murders of obsessive Stab fans Richie ( Jack Quaid ) and Amber ( Mikey Madison ). However, the internet has run rampant with rumors that Sam might’ve actually been the killer, setting up this pair to get away with her murders, and with her still feeling the influence of her father, Billy Loomis ( Skeet Ulrich ), she worries that murder might be in her family’s blood.

RELATED: Are We Traitors to Neve Campbell for Going to See 'Scream VI'?

It turns out Sam had good reason to protect her sister as a new string of killings in New York City from a new Ghostface puts the Core Four (which also includes siblings Mindy and Chad, played by Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding ), and a cast of new friends that includes Liana Liberato , Jack Champion , and Sam’s new love interest Danny ( John Segarra ) in danger as potential victims. But, as Mindy points out, the second killer went after Sidney Prescott ( Neve Campbell , absent for the first time in this franchise) at college as well, making this a requel of those events. And as the recent Star Wars trilogy showed us, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker can die in a requel, so all bets are off on who can be killed, and more importantly, who could be the killer. Further, with this new Ghostface leaving masks from previous killers at the scenes of his attacks, the answer to the new killer might be in the past.

In addition to our main cast, Scream VI also brings back some old favorites. Courteney Cox ’s Gale Weathers now becomes the only character to appear in all six films, and with Dewey ( David Arquette ) dying in the last film, it’s entirely possible this could be the final chapter for Gale. Scream VI also sees the return of Kirby Reed ( Hayden Panettiere ), who survived the events of Scream 4 , and is now an FBI agent aiding in the search for this new Ghostface alongside Detective Bailey ( Dermot Mulroney ).

Also returning are directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett as well as writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick , who joined this series with 2022’s Scream . While the last Scream almost felt too beholden to the original film, with villains whose only real motivation was a love for the Stab films, Scream VI both acknowledges and celebrates its past, while feeling distinctly of its own piece. With all the setup of the characters done back in the last Scream , this sixth installment can directly dive into the more fun aspects of this franchise, like the whodunit nature, and the wild kills.

Vanderbilt and Busick set up the idea that Scream VI is a “requel,” before then embracing this title by making this film an extremely fun take on Scream 2 . In one sequence where the characters attempt to trace Ghostface’s call, it is quickly mentioned that this is exactly how Randy died back during the events of Scream 2 . We, of course, get a brief mention of film studies, and in particular, how slasher films evolve over the years, and even the Omega Kappa Beta fraternity that Derek ( Jerry O’Connell ) was a part of is mentioned in passing. But Vanderbilt and Busick go even further than Scream 2 , as we learn that the killer has a “shrine” of sorts dedicated to the history of the killers. For fans of this series, this location is packed with Easter eggs that viewers will want to pour over.

As Mindy breaks down the rules of this film—as this series always does—she mentions that franchises only exist to subvert expectations. Main characters don’t matter anymore, anyone and everyone can be killed or be a suspect. And while Scream VI doesn’t break from its usual mold entirely (there are far more allusions to Scream 2 that can’t be mentioned here), there are plenty of extremely fun deviations on what we come to expect from this franchise. The Scream films have often tried new things out with their cold opens, but Scream VI ’s opening is a brilliant way to shake up what we think we’re going to see. While some rules are clearly broken, it’s still a joy to see how some Scream traditions will always stay the same.

Though the Scream brand has always been about the main team of Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, Scream VI is really the first time where it feels okay that this series is starting to move away from its franchise mainstays. With Dewey now dead, and Sidney not appearing in this film, Gale—as well as Kirby—still play second-fiddle to the new cast. In 2022’s Scream , putting this new cast upfront made it feel like just waiting for the old favorites to come back, but with Scream VI , the new blood starts to seem like a good direction to head in. Still, Gale and Kirby get their moments in the spotlight, but this never feels like it's wasting time until familiar faces are on the screen.

Much like the recent Creed III , Scream VI finds a way to both honor and revel in the past, while creating a path forward for a new generation. It finds just the right combination of nostalgia and fresh blood, telling a story that manages to feel familiar in its winks at the past, but breaking with tradition in ways that are exciting and new for this series. Scream VI might be a sequel to a requel, but this franchise still finds new ways to feel original in its approach to this world.

Scream VI comes to theaters on March 10

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The survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City. The survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City. The survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.

• Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
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• 931 User reviews
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• Gale Weathers

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• Trivia Courteney Cox was the first cast member to sign up to return as Gale Weathers. She states that she did not hesitate to return because she loves playing Gale, and jokingly said that she'd even play her for free.
• Goofs Despite Ghostface taking a blow to the forehead from a frying pan, none of the suspects at the end of the movie show the resulting bruising/swelling that would have occurred.

Jason Carvey : [as he's dying] We have to finish the movie.

The Voice : [raising his knife] Who gives a fuck about movies!

• Crazy credits After the credits, Mindy appears and says "Not every movie needs a post credits scene."
• Connections Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Scariest Horror Movie Locations Found in New York City (2023)
• Soundtracks Si O No Written by Tatiana Hazel Resendiz & Stephen Ponce Performed by Tatiana Hazel Courtesy of Tatiana Hazel

User reviews 931

• Mar 7, 2023
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• March 10, 2023 (United States)
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• $35,000,000 (estimated)
• $108,161,389
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• Mar 12, 2023
• $168,961,389

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Scream VI review: Jenna Ortega and Hayden Panettiere in a sequel that’s bloody, satisfying and ridiculously fun

Shifting location to new york, this sidney prescott-less sequel helps establish ‘scream’ as the sturdiest and most reliable franchise in horror, article bookmarked.

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Over the course of six films and three decades, Scream has quietly established itself as the sturdiest and most reliable of today’s horror franchises. It’s never had to reboot itself. It’s never had to awkwardly sweep its unloved sequels under the rug. Some instalments have certainly been better than others, but the series has only ever slightly stumbled over the years – it’s never dramatically self-combusted. That’s partly because the Scream formula is ideally tailored for endless repetition. All you need is a fresh batch of teenagers and a dose of self-awareness and, voilà, you’ve got yourself a Scream movie.

Scream VI , really, only ever achieves the bare minimum of those requirements. Yet it’s both wholly satisfying and ridiculously fun. Opting for a location switch à la Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan , it sees the four core survivors of the last film – sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara ( Jenna Ortega ), plus twins Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) – relocate to New York City. Ghostface, the mantle taken up in each film by new and mysterious killers, resurfaces once more.

Mindy, our resident horror buff, is quick to establish the rules of the game: these would-be victims are now deep in the age of the cinematic franchise, and all bets are off. All that matters now is the brand name, which means both protagonists and legacy characters have become equal cannon fodder (as she points out, James Bond and Luke Skywalker died so their franchises could live on). With Sidney Prescott safely offscreen (Neve Campbell chose not to return, following a dispute over pay) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) already six feet under, that doesn’t exactly spell good news for reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), the one remaining, original Scream veteran.

But, if anything, Campbell’s (potentially temporary) departure has gently shifted the focus away from the preciousness of the original film, and towards the larger, less nostalgically regarded sequels. That explains the return of Scream 4 ’s Kirby Reed ( Hayden Panettiere ), who was revealed in last year’s sequel to have survived her encounter with Ghostface in her original film and now works as an FBI special agent. It doesn’t matter all that much if you remember her – Panettiere plays the role with a sly wit, as she tussles with Gale for elder statesman superiority.

Mindy, during her briefing, makes the case that franchises only survive by subverting expectations. That’s a bit of an oversell for Scream VI , to be frank. The reveal of the film’s Ghostface killer(s?) isn’t as clever as last time, lacking the same pointed commentary on toxic fandoms and fragile masculinity. But James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick’s script does a heroic job of making every character – from Dermot Mulroney’s detective to Josh Segarra’s love interest – seem unnaturally intense and instantly suspicious. And then, of course, there’s Sam herself, revealed in the last film to be the daughter of original Ghostface Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich, who once more returns in ghostly, digitally de-aged form), who does a lot of staring into the middle distance with a look of would-be bloodlust.

Even if the kills aren’t all that inventive, they’re bloody, efficient, and brutally composed by returning directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett ​​Well. The real subversion of Scream VI , in fact, is that we’re shown an unmasked Ghostface picking up a gun for the very first time – and it’s striking how the film suddenly slows down and goes silent. For a horror figure that’s often been a source of light ridicule, frequently tripping over his own robes and getting his head smacked with random objects, here’s the one time Ghostface is treated with deadly seriousness, crystallised around an image of potent, real-world terror.

Samara Weaving’s Laura, an associate professor in film studies, explains at one point that the rigorousness of the slasher film’s formula has made the genre a perfect barometer of our current culture. For all that Scream VI may feel sturdy and familiar, you just know some academic in 20 or so years will be picking apart its bones to tell us how much it really said about who we are. Scream is a long way from losing its purpose.

Dir: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett. Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Dermot Mulroney, Samara Weaving, Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox. 18, 123 minutes.

‘Scream VI’ is in cinemas from 9 March

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Scream 6 review: You’ll be screaming with delight

Scream 6 proves its worthy place in the franchise, with a great mix of comedy, scares, heart, and of course, kills.

What’s your favorite scary movie? Well, here at Dexerto, we’d definitely have to say that Scream is a contender for that title. The franchise has been going strong for over 25 years now, even after the loss of Wes Craven, with its newest release being helmed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin.

Scream 6 is the most recent addition to the series, and the plot goes as such, “Four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage.”

With new leads, new locations, and of course a new Ghostface, Scream 6 is set to be one of the best films in the franchise. Let’s get into the review, but first, a warning: While we’ll do our best to keep this review spoiler free, there still could be potential spoilers ahead!

Scream 6 looks both forward and backwards

Scream 6 feels at home in the franchise from the get go, which is funny considering that a main theme of the film is the concept of franchises themselves. This allows Scream 6 to be just as meta as its ancestors, especially with its abundance of easter eggs and references that thankfully don’t feel forced. A final act twist even feels akin to one we’ve seen in Scream 2.

Though if you’ve never seen another Scream film, it’s also pretty easy to jump into this one, as for better or worse there’s a dump of exposition during Scream 6’s beginning.

Scream 6 does a good job on the whole of blending the new and the old. While some fans showed reservations for these new films and their casts, the modern characters themselves are great. True, they all fit into pretty standard tropes – the love interest, the jock with a heart of gold, the comic relief, the nerd, etc – and their dialogue can be sometimes clunky and cliché. But they are all still very entertaining, and above all, likeable, making it even more tense when they come under attack.

Scream takes a stab at New York

The attacks themselves are brutal. The creators weren’t kidding when they called this Ghostface the most ruthless one yet, and with the gory blood effects and sound design – and of course the great screaming of the cast – you really feel every hit that Ghostface blows. So while the jump scares can be very predictable, you’re still dreading what will come of them.

And what sets Scream apart is that the killers themselves are human, making it a real grapple for survival between the heroes and villains. One fight between Gale (Courtney Cox) and Ghostface particularly shows how the cast aren’t simply waiting around to get murdered, they are active beings, which makes the kills all the more exhilarating.

Gale and Kirby are the only two remaining legacy characters, but they don’t feel past their sell by date yet. Gale’s pain at Dewey’s death still stands, and Kirby is of course a delight to watch on screen. Kirby had been a fan-fave character since Scream 4, and her return does not disappoint, with Hayden Panettiere stepping back into her role effortlessly.

Scream is also well known for its twists, and here, the movie does not disappoint. Just when you think it’s obvious who the killer is, Scream 6 throws you for a loop. And while the franchises’ killers are always crazy in the same way, their reveal and final battle still remain fascinating and fun to watch.

The finale also manages to fit in an emotional arc between Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega), which adds a nice layer to the film. Scream has not always managed to weave perfectly between satire and earnestness, and even in this movie the humor and emotional moments can clash with each other, but this journey between the sisters is proof that it is possible to get it right.

Scream 6 review score: 4/5

Ultimately, the Scream franchise is far from dead – unlike Ghostface’s victims. It’s a testament that even with a mostly modern cast, fans both old and new can still get something out of these movies.

It also says something that this is the longest Scream film so far, and yet you never feel the runtime drag. Instead, you only wait on the edge of your seat to see what will become of the characters, and by the looks of the film’s ending, it’s clear that their troubles are far from over.

Scream 6 will premiere in cinemas on March 10. Check out the rest of our coverage of the film here .

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Common sense media reviewers.

Dense, extra-brutal slasher sequel has strong characters.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Communication is important here. Relationships are

Tara and Sam are incredibly strong and brave, thou

The four main characters are all non-White. Three

Brutal, over-the-top murders. Many, many stabbings

Kissing. Sex noises, moaning coming from bedroom.

Frequent strong language includes f--k," "s--t," "

Characters drink Mountain Dew and eat Cheetos. Die

Raucous college party with lots of drinking and po

Parents need to know that Scream VI is the sixth movie in the meta horror-slasher franchise, following the characters who were introduced in 2022's "re-quel," Scream . It's pretty brutal, but thanks to strong character interactions and a good mystery story, it succeeds. Expect tons of stabbings and…

Positive Messages

Communication is important here. Relationships are damaged by poor communication and repaired with good communication. However, violence is shown as a justifiable response to other violence. Some violence is punished, while other violence isn't.

Positive Role Models

Tara and Sam are incredibly strong and brave, though they're also imperfect in many ways. They frequently argue, and they respond to violence with more violence. But friends do try to look out for one another.

Diverse Representations

The four main characters are all non-White. Three are women: Melissa Barrera (who's from Mexico), Jenna Ortega (who's of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent), and Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, who portray siblings of color. Brown's character, Mindy, is in a relationship with a mixed-race woman (Devyn Nekoda, who identifies as Asian-Caucasian). Hayden Panettiere and Courteney Cox also play strong women. White men appear in more marginal roles.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Brutal, over-the-top murders. Many, many stabbings -- in shoulders, mouths, stomachs, noses, eyes, etc. Huge, gory, bloody wounds. Blood spatters. Bloody, hacked-up corpse in refrigerator. Bloody corpses. A man tries to take advantage of a drunk woman; he handles her roughly, but she's rescued by friends. Reference to date rape. Guns and shooting. Person shot with shotgun. Head bashed against metal grate. Character falls from high building, bashes head on Dumpster on the way down. Characters fall from balcony, crash into table. Person stabbed with shard of broken glass. Hitting killer with bricks. Gory slasher movie on TV. Male tased in the crotch region. Fighting. Punching.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kissing. Sex noises, moaning coming from bedroom. Dialogue about a woman being promiscuous. Other sex-related dialogue. A character worries that he will die a virgin. Women in revealing clothing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Frequent strong language includes f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," "c--kblocked," "motherf----r," "bitch" and "son of a bitch," "goddamn," "balls," "douchebag," "d--k," "chode," "slutty," "whore," "pissing contest." "Jesus Christ" as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Characters drink Mountain Dew and eat Cheetos. Diet Cherry Coke mentioned. Coors can shown.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Raucous college party with lots of drinking and pot-smoking. Characters get drunk. (The keg is empty, and bottles of hard liquor are almost empty.) Character drinks shots at home. Drinks at bar. Mention of Fireball.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Scream VI is the sixth movie in the meta horror-slasher franchise , following the characters who were introduced in 2022's "re-quel," Scream . It's pretty brutal, but thanks to strong character interactions and a good mystery story, it succeeds. Expect tons of stabbings and slayings, bloody wounds, blood spurts, dead bodies, etc. A man tries to take advantage of a drunk girl at a college party (her friends rescue her), characters are shot and fall from high places, heads are bashed, and more. There's kissing, sex noises coming from a bedroom, and sex-related dialogue. Language includes sporadic uses of "f--k," "motherf----r," "s--t," "bitch," "a--hole," "goddamn," and more. A raucous college party features lots of drinking and some pot smoking; other characters drink shots or mixed drinks at a bar. Jenna Ortega , Melissa Barrera , and Hayden Panettiere co-star. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (25)
• Kids say (73)

Based on 25 parent reviews

NOT for kids under 18 - We had to walk out due to psychologically disturbing content!😱

Too disturbing, what's the story.

In SCREAM VI, Tara ( Jenna Ortega ) and her friends Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) have moved to New York City following the terrible events of Scream . Tara's older sister, Sam ( Melissa Barrera ), has tagged along and is putting a crimp in Tara's social life with her overprotectiveness. Nevertheless, they're all sharing a house with some new roommates, Mindy has a new girlfriend, and they're all trying to move on. Unfortunately, the terror of Ghostface isn't finished with them yet, and they start to experience deadly new attacks. Mindy tries to establish the rules this time, while police detective Bailey ( Dermot Mulroney ) and Kirby Reed ( Hayden Panettiere ) -- who's now with the FBI -- discover that the new killer is referencing all of the previous killers. So Tara and her friends must prepare for what they hope will be one final showdown.

Is It Any Good?

While this slasher sequel is bogged down by complicated lore and is far more brutal than it is actually scary, the strong characters and an effective mystery come together to make it a cut above. Fans of the franchise will likely want to rewatch the previous five movies before tackling Scream VI , as it has many, many references to them. In the last movie, 2022's Scream , Mindy cleverly proclaimed that they were in a "re-quel," but here her efforts to establish the rules are headache-inducing. Additionally, perhaps as the result of the number of kills getting ramped up, each one lacks the suspense it might have had (with the exception of a terrific, extended sequence on the subway). Still, filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (of the Radio Silence collective) do manage to use their 123-minute running time to more deeply explore the characters and their relationships. We can feel their trauma and their wounds and easily empathize with them. Plus, not only is the mystery in Scream VI satisfying and clever, but it's also a logical extension of the previous movie. There actually was a good reason for another sequel; it's more than just a stab in the dark.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Scream VI 's violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

Is the movie scary ? Does it concentrate more on fright, suspense/mystery, or clever references? What would make the movie scarier -- or less scary?

How does the movie depict underage drinking and drug use ? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?

What is a "meta movie"? Do the Scream movies benefit from being self-aware? What might be missing?

How do the characters handle trauma? How are communication and family involved in this process?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 10, 2023
• On DVD or streaming : July 11, 2023
• Cast : Jenna Ortega , Melissa Barrera , Courteney Cox
• Directors : Tyler Gillett , Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Latino actors
• Studio : Paramount Pictures
• Genre : Horror
• Run time : 123 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : strong bloody violence and language throughout, and brief drug use
• Last updated : December 3, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Scream (2022)

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Everything We Know

Everything we know about scream vi, the survivors return, but they've got new allies, a new home, and a new emphasis on action and spectacular stunts. we've got all the details on the latest installment..

TAGGED AS: Horror , movies

When you’ve already done five increasingly meta and self-referential horror movies, where do you have left to go? Well, New York City, apparently. Just as Jason Voorhees did 34 years ago , the Scream franchise takes Manhattan in the upcoming Scream VI , a direct sequel to 2022’s Scream (which was technically Scream V , but opted not to have the Roman numeral designation to play into the whole “requel” theme that was so integral to the story).

By now, we all know that the point of any Scream movie is that it’s part whodunit and part commentary on the cliches and tropes of the horror genre, so its movies are always going to go in for a little misdirection and some knowing winks at the fact that it knows that you know where this is all going, but getting there is 90% of the fun. The first trailer sets the stage. We’re not in Woodsboro anymore.

So without knowing what twists and turns await us, here’s what we know so far about Scream VI .

The Survivors of Scream (2022) Are Back for More

(Photo by Philippe Bosse/©Paramount Pictures)

The new movie follows sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter ( Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega ) who, obviously, made it out of the last movie in once piece (despite Tara seemingly being earmarked for a Drew Barrymore-esque quick exit right in the beginning). Sam’s bloodline connection to original Scream (1996) killer Billy Loomis ( Skeet Ulrich ) will once again be a major story point this time around as well – is she just a victim, or will her father’s dark side manifest itself? (Note she says, “There’s a darkness inside of me” in the trailer). Twins Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin ( Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding ) also follow the Carpenter sister to the big city, and tabloid TV journalist-turned-best-selling-author Gale Weathers ( Courteney Cox ) returns to her NYC home turf to once again get caught up in the mayhem.

The Team Behind the Scenes Returns As Well

(Photo by Brownie Harris/©Paramount Pictures)

The entire crew behind Scream (2022) are back, too. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett ( Ready or Not ) are once again at the helm, alongside producers William Sherak , James Vanderbilt , and Paul Neinstein . Vanderbilt also co-wrote the script with Guy Busick , like they did for the last installment. The whole creative team returning combined with the fact that these sequels are coming out in much quicker succession than previous Scream films (which usually had a few years’ gap time in between) gives Scream VI the feeling of being a more direct and urgent continuation of the story.

Unfortunately, Neve Campbell Has Tapped Out

Despite returning for Scream V , original star Neve Campbell won’t be making the trek to the Big Apple. Sidney Prescott is still very much alive, but Campbell has cited contractual drama as the reason she won’t be joining the hunt for the latest Ghostface. The actress released a statement explaining the situation to fans, saying, “Sadly I won’t be making the next Scream film. As a woman, I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream . I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my Scream fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”

…But Hayden Panettiere Is Back In

What’s something horror movies have always taught us? If you don’t see a character’s final breath, you can’t ever assume they’re actually dead. Despite appearing to be killed in Scream 4, we never got conclusive proof that Hayden Panettiere’ s Kirby Reed was a goner. An Easter Egg in Scream V teased her fate – While Richie Kirsch ( Jack Quaid ) is watching a YouTube video dissecting the Stab films (the film-within-a-film series based on the events of Scream ), one of the related videos on the side reads “Interview with Woodsboro Survivor Kirby Reed.” Reed will make her official return to the series in Scream VI , joining in the city-wide hunt for the new killer(s).

There’s Plenty of New Blood

(Photo by Jon Kopaloff, Valerie Macon, Cindy Ord, David M. Benett/Getty Images)

Scream VI’ s cast is rounded out by a mix of fresh-faced newcomers and veteran talent new to the Scream franchise. The cast includes Josh Segarra ( She-Hulk: Attorney at Law ), Tony Revolori ( Spider-Man: No Way Home ), Devyn Nekoda ( Sneakerella ), Liana Liberato ( Novitiate ), and Jack Champion ( Avatar: The Way of Water ). More familiar faces include Dermot Mulroney , who appears to be playing an NYPD detective, Henry Czerny , and directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s old Ready or Not leading lady, Samara Weaving .

The Story Relocates to New York City

As noted above,  Scream VI moves the action to the Big Apple, as the Carpenter sisters and the Meeks-Martin twins have attempted to leave their traumatic experiences in Woodsboro behind and start afresh. Tara and the twins are now college students, while Sam is juggling jobs, and though they are now closer than they’ve ever been, all of them continue to struggle with moving on from their past in their own ways. That’s when Ghostface shows up and throws a wrench into that healing process.

Setting the film in New York was a deliberate decision on the part of the filmmakers. As Executive Producer Chad Villella explains, ““The one analogy we always use that if Scream V  was the greatest hits, this one is the punk rock B side of the Scream franchise. We brought some action to it and really ramped up the intensity, which makes the movie more fun, makes the city more prevalent, and makes you feel like you’re in a different place and watching a different Scream , but still getting a genuine Scream movie at its core.”

It’s An Action Flick Hidden in a Horror Movie

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

While  Scream VI will, of course, have all the requisite chills and whodunit elements that we’ve come to associate with the franchise, one way the film will differ from its predecessors is that its big set pieces will be a lot more action-focused. The fight scenes have been elaborately choreographed with an emphasis on spectacular stunts, and as producer William Sherak put it, “We hid an action movie in a horror movie.”

The Meta Jokes Will Be Amped Up

Judging from the first teaser trailer, at least part of Scream VI will take place over Halloween, which will add to the chaos since you’ll have all of Manhattan running around (and strap-hanging on the subway) looking like potential Ghostfaces. In the clips we’ve seen so far, not only is the Scream  mask apparently very popular (we see several different Ghostfaces on the subway), but look around and you’ll see subway riders dressed as Hellraiser’ s Pinhead, The Babadook , and, of course, Friday the 13th’ s Jason Voorhees.

This May Be a Much Different Ghostface

It’s a point hammered home several times in the trailer. Kirby Reed – who has now apparently become a professional Ghostface hunter – says “this isn’t like any other Ghostface.” Later, Ghostface himself says, “There’s never been one like me, Gale” while terrorizing Weathers. In between, we get brief glimpses of what Gale calls “a shrine” but what almost looks like Tony Stark’s lab if he was super into black robes instead of Iron Man armor. So what does it all mean? They’re not likely to go the “sicko fanboy/fangirl” route again (maybe), and this killer appears to be well-financed (do you know what the rent would be like for a giant, personal Ghostface museum?). It’s safe to say the characters really don’t know what they’re up against this time.

But His Voice Will Be the Same

Like Anthony Daniels’ C-3PO across all the various Star Wars movies and TV shows, there is something comforting about a familiar voice that brings consistency despite new casts, new stories, and new locations. Roger L. Jackson, who has been the “Do you like scary movies?” voice on the phone since the original 1996 Scream and in every installment since (he even voiced the character in the 2019 television series Scream: Resurrection ), will be back making prank calls yet again.

Scream VI opens in theaters on March 10, 2023.

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Scream VI Review: Ghostface Slices the Big Apple

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Ghostface returns to murder horrifically and torment the Carpenter sisters in New York City. Scream VI takes the slasher franchise to the bustling metropolis with a major shift in the overall storyline. Neve Campbell's "Sidney" is no longer the protagonist and absent from a Scream film for the first time. That's not a killer, pardon the pun, as Melissa Barrera's "Sam" and Jenna Ortega's "Tara" are more than capable leads. They're good actresses in a lopsided plot that doesn't nearly match the quality of last year's successful requel.

Six months after the events in Woodsboro, Sam (Barrera) and Tara (Ortega) are adjusting to college life in Manhattan. They're joined by twins Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding). Tara wants to move on with her life by attending frat parties and meeting cute boys. Sam can't leave their traumatic past behind. She lives in fear for her younger sibling's safety. Tara doesn't want a babysitter. She's annoyed by Sam's constant monitoring.

Targeting the Carpenters

Sam's intuition proves to be correct as new Ghostface killings rattle the city and campus. Someone is targeting the Carpenter sisters by murdering those around them and leaving strange clues. There's a sinister connection to the sisters that baffles law enforcement. NYPD lead detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) is confounded by the killer's knowledge of previous Ghostface crimes.

Related: Scream VI Directors Hope to Return for Scream 7

Sam, Tara, and the twins decide to stay together at all times. They get reinforcements when Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), now an FBI agent, arrives to help. They don't want any assistance from Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox); who betrayed the sisters' trust. The new strategy doesn't work. Ghostface outwits them at every savage turn. Sam and Tara surmise that the killer has to be someone in their inner circle.

Scream VI tries to straddle the line between mocking horror tropes and paying homage to the established narrative. The attempt at cleverness fails when ostensibly smart characters, who've all been through the previous killing spree, do the same inane things to put their lives in jeopardy. The characters banter about breaking genre paradigms, and then ignore their own advice. It doesn't make sense.

A Compelling Open

Scream VI commits a structural mistake. The opening murder scene is graphic and compelling. It's a dynamite beginning that sets a high bar, which unfortunately the rest of the film never comes close to achieving. The first Scream grabbed your attention with Drew Barrymore's murder. No one saw the reveals of Stu Macher and Billy Loomis coming. James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, who also wrote the 2022 requel, needed to diffuse creativity throughout. You can't have a beginning that dramatically outshines the ending. That's like starting on the mountain top and tumbling to the bottom.

Ghostface slices the Big Apple into a bloody pulp. The gnarly death scenes are an aspect that improves. One scene, in particular, had me wincing and companion clutching at my arm. Therein lies the rub. Carnage fans will be satiated if vicious slaughter is the only requirement. Scream VI didn't have enough quality scares or a logical plot to hold my interest.

Scream VI is a production of Spyglass Media Group, Project X Entertainment, and Radio Silence. It will have a theatrical release on March 10th from Paramount Pictures .

• Movie and TV Reviews
• Scream 6 (2023)

Scream VI (2023) Movie Review – This requel’s sequel delivers a bloody solid slasher

The requel’s sequel delivers a striking, solid slasher

Scream has always been at its best when it embraces the whodunit aspect of its murder mystery. Through the years, this meta horror has managed to subvert expectations, with a number of killers that have been difficult to work out until very late in the game. Scream VI is no exception and it absolutely excels with its murder mystery. There’s a growing list of suspects that serve as glaring red herrings, while a revolving door of victims keeps the tension going until the very end when the big reveal is unveiled.

The story picks up after the events of last year’s box office surprise hit, with Samantha struggling to adjust to her new reality. While it’s advised to watch 2022’s Scream before jumping into this, Scream VI does a pretty solid job recapping what’s happened as Sam attends therapy. In the time we’ve left her, Sam is public enemy number 1 and word online is that Richie was innocent and Sam has framed him as the Ghostface killer.

After moving to New York and starting a new life for themselves, Sam is struggling to keep her relationship with Tara intact. Tara wants to do her own thing and sees Sam as an annoying, intrusive figure overshadowing her own life.

When a new string of murders occurs, with someone targeting those closest to Sam and Tara, our protagonists find themselves conflicted between saving themselves from harm and doing everything they can to unmask the next Ghostface killer.

Scream VI is bolstered by a very impressive opening act, and the first 20 minutes or so of this one does a fantastic job easing you into the new mystery. There’s a really tense and gritty feel to what’s happening and the changed setting of New York works surprisingly well to contrast claustrophobic, small apartments and larger, open expanses outside.

The actual reveal of the killers and the entire third act, especially for the final 30 minutes or so, will likely catch you off-guard and I doubt many people will guess everything that goes down. However, it also plays out a bit campy and cartoonish, and the stakes are surprisingly low too, especially with the sheer number of fake-outs and other horror cliches. I won’t get into that here but with a slightly reworked ending, this could easily have been one of the best Scream movies, but if there’s one sour point in this otherwise sweet slasher, it’s this.

It’s clear that the writers have taken many of the criticisms onboard from 2022’s Scream and respond in kind, with a great screenplay that takes all those issues onboard and reworks it into a cleverly written and unpredictable screenplay. It’s certainly a refreshing change from the norm where any criticism is played off as racist or sexist.

There are some great jokes in here though, taking jabs at the idea of legacy characters while the usual swathe of meta references to the genre work really well to keep the tone swinging between horror and comedy. There’s never a dull moment here either and some of the set-pieces across the 2 hour run are excellent.

Alongside that opening sequence, there’s a really tense segment onboard a subway train, and the final fight location is absolutely spot-on in both aesthetic and design. Given the small budget this one’s playing with, Scream VI will almost certainly make a tidy profit at the box office – and it deserves it too for this effort.

Scream VI is a strikingly solid horror flick and issues with the finale aside, improves over last year’s effort in almost every single way to delivery a bloody good slasher!

Read More: Scream VI Ending Explained

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• Verdict - 7.5/10 7.5/10

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A community dedicated to the Scream franchise including the movies, the television series, video games, merchandise, and anything else Scream-related. #ForWes

Honest review of Scream 6

No, I don’t like it.

As a big fan of this franchise, I’ve a high expectations. Oh god… I just don’t enjoy it.

Huge improvement of Radio Silence in directing! No more odd cinematography like Scream 5.

Melissa improved so much! Better control of emotions, not outshone by Jenna!

Enough scenes to develop core 4, Chad is likeable in this one.

Editing is better than Scream 5, pace is appropriate mostly

Gale’s attack is the best one in the movie (sadly it’s in the trailer)

It takes the boxes of an entertaining brainless slasher.

Music score is alright.

They did try add a family theme into it.

Some scenes between the sisterhood can be cut as they’re too forced, the message can be delivered in a different way instead of just saying it.

Opening scene is so bad! Radio silence stil l not able to create suspense!!

No memorable kills, in Scream 5, Wes got stabbed in the throat I feel it hurts, but so many death with a face stab, just got so tired of it and not creative enough, even Scream 3 is more creative in this sense.

Ending is so bad that you just have no idea why the old dude can get the role… the other two killers have no charisma at all.

Loads of death no one cares, just there to increase the body count I guess?

All the best scenes are in the trailer, Gale’s and the store.

The ladder scene is ridiculous and not intense at all…I just want her to die a bit quicker , and wtf all ran away…

Loads of “Sidney didn’t unmask “moment…you just can’t take your brain to watch it.

Like Scream 5, lack of layers, but it occurred after scream 4 anyway.

Summary: Yes, I feel like some audience especially slasher fans will like it but I think it’s really the time to end the franchise. I feel like incorporating parenting is a good theme as the killer’s motive is also about family, they did touch it but just not enough. Plus I was expecting like Scream 2, how Sidney used art to channel her inner fear, it adds so much depth to the well received franchise. If Scream 6 succeed financially, the studio will keep milking the franchise and it seems like they just want to turn it to a popcorn movie.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘MaXXXine’ on VOD, the Slashy, Sleazy ‘80s-Set Finale to Mia Goth and Ti West’s ‘X’ Trilogy

Where to stream:, new movies on streaming: ‘a quiet place: day one,’ ‘maxxxine’ + more, ‘maxxxine’ comes to digital, but when will ‘maxxxine’ be streaming on max, mia goth ascends to the highest level of scream queen in ‘maxxxine’, is a24’s ‘maxxxine’ streaming on netflix or hbo max.

This week on How Is Mia Goth Terrifying Us Now is MaXXXine ( now streaming on VOD services like Amazon Prime Video ), the third film in writer-director Ti West’s X trilogy. It began with 2022’s X , set in 1979 with Goth’s Maxine character surviving a real humdinger of a Texas Chainsaw situation. It continued with a leap back to 1918, where Goth played the title character of Pearl , who murdered her way out of a Technicolor Disney/ Wizard of Oz situation in a decidedly Lizzie Bordenesque fashion. And it concludes (reportedly, for now) with MaXXXine , Goth reanimating Maxine, who finally gets her big shot at major crossover fame, which is what she’s always truly lusted after, although she’ll have to make it through a bunch of mid-’80s references to do it. And she can do it, right? You’d be wise not to doubt her.

MAXXXINE : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: She did it! Sort of. Almost. Not quite. Maxine (Goth) is on the cusp of fame. No, more like the fringe. The scungy fringe. The gross underbelly of Hollywood where the sunlight doesn’t… quite… reach. She’s Maxine Minx now, a porn star and peep-show artist whose confidence manifests in her stiletto-heeled strut, take-no-guff attitude and particular manner of driving her creamy-white Benz convertible, namely, just gunning it and ignoring basic traffic laws, and making everyone slam on the brakes for her, all the better to draw those eyes, all those eyes. She swaggers into an audition conducted by Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), who’s directing The Puritan II , the sequel to a slab of horror schlock capitalizing on, and further stirring, Satanic Panic outrage. Maxine gives a wrenching, tearful reading of a crucial scene – and then is asked to take her top off, because it’s 1985, and showing your breasts is an equally important part of the camera test, especially for a movie whose primary ingredient is zillion-gallon tankers of pure, uncut sleaze.

Bubbling in the background of Maxine’s quest for fame is the saga of the Night Stalker, a real-life serial killer who slashed 14 people in L.A. and the Bay Area in the 1980s. Maxine slices through Hollywood to the mellifluous sounds of Ratt and Animotion, hanging with her bestie Leon (Moses Sumney), a video store worker of course, and talking business with her bottomfeeding agent/lawyer Teddy Knight (Giancarlo Esposito). She clocks in at the peep show one day and a black-gloved guy whose face we never see drops in the coin and watches her dance, and seems to be less turned on and more enraged by it, which tells us he’s a complete wacko. I’ll give you zero guesses as to who it is, since you already know. OR DO YOU?

Congratulations are in order, because Maxine lands The Puritan II and learns that Bender is kind of insane and kind of a feminist but also an exploiter and believes the project is “a B-movie with A ideas.” Maxine also meets her co-star, notable because she’s played by Lily Collins, cast presumably because her bountiful eyebrows compensate for Goth’s nearly invisible ones. As the Night Stalker’s victims start hewing closer and closer to Maxine, the cops on the case (Bobby Cannavale and Michelle Monaghan) start sniffing around her door. She also meets John Labat, a private detective played by the grossest, nastiest bits of Kevin Bacon. Needless to say, the primary question for this movie is, what will run heavier, the blood or the mascara? NO SPOILERS.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: If X was West channeling Tobe Hooper, and Pearl was West channeling Douglas Sirk, MaXXXine is West channeling Brian De Palma. Oh, and Dario Argento (think Deep Red or Suspiria ) and Nicolas Winding-Refn (whose depiction of Gross Los Angeles in The Neon Demon was more effective). Also whoever directed all the trash you used to watch on USA Up All Night . And then the movie kind of becomes a riff on Paul Schrader’s Hardcore ?

Performance Worth Watching: I’m going to use this space wisely: to pen an ode to Goth, who’s increasingly Swintonesque in her intensity, commitment and strange allure. MaXXXine doesn’t capitalize on her abilities as much as it should, a disappointment in an otherwise pretty gross, pretty amusing ’80s pastiche. She’s still scary, good and scary-good here, although Pearl is her greatest moment yet (Oscar worthy, for my nickel – as in she should’ve WON the Oscar), and Infinity Pool is my favorite Goth outing yet, showcasing her at her most despicably, savagely unhinged.

Memorable Dialogue: Director and actress wind up on the same page:

Bender: Are you ruthless? Maxine: Yes ma’am.

Sex and Skin: A couple medium-distance shots from a porn shoot, and a depiction of a fellow’s testicular area that might be the most horrific thing I’ve seen in a movie in years.

Our Take: West damn well knows he’s trafficking in the ickiest of nostalgias, with his cheeky-ass close-ups of Maxine snorting coh-oh-oh-oh-oke and very noticeably not drinking a can of New Coke. MaXXXine is homage, it’s spoof, it’s pastiche, and just like the period-specific tones, moods and details it’s aping, it’s shameless and unsubtle. The snake eats its own tail as West slashes up Hollywood and all its crassness, exploiting its exploitative qualities during perhaps the most exploitative decade of the movie biz, when sex and splatter sold like mad thanks to the VHS boom. Nasty, nasty video nasties. 

West unapologetically rummages and roots around in the ick with a De Palma-esque fetishistic fervor. There isn’t much of a focal point to the aesthetic, although the filmmaker occasionally licks his chops at the opportunity to impale sexism on a post-#MeToo pike – the way a studio-lot security guard leers at Maxine, the use-’em-up-and-throw-’em-out M.O. applied to young actresses, the scene with the soul-crushing acting immediately followed by the equally soul-crushing show-us-your-tits bit. This era generated a lot of movies we love but whose productions were surely disturbing under the harsher glare of modern sensibilities. 

So there’s some capital-T There here, for sure, although the majority of the movie is surface-level quality entertainment – fiendish kills, period-specific references, delightfully trashy soundtrack (that Ratt track is a deep cut), misc. catnip for film buffs, Mia Goth glaring right the f— into the camera. Enjoyable as it is, MaXXXine is the least of West’s trilogy, its ending a bit mooshy and only vaguely satisfying; it ultimately nips at the heels of the out-of-nowhere freshness of X , and trails Goth’s memorably devastating, peak-of-her-powers turn in Pearl by a sizable margin. Goth at three-quarters strength in MaXXXine is still worth its weight in blank BASF tapes and acid-washed denim, though. And then some.

Our Call: MaXXXine passes the camera test and earns our attention. STREAM IT.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Screen Rant

Sydney sweeney's 2024 horror movie reminds me of this underrated medieval comedy with 78% on rt.

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• Immaculate balances horror and campy comedy, with one scene providing a much-needed break from the darkness.
• The film's comedic chores montage is reminiscent of The Little Hours, highlighting the contrast in tone.
• Despite some comedy, Immaculate ultimately embraces its horror, while The Little Hours fully indulges in comedy.

Immaculate is a film that often straddles the line between serious horror and campy absurdity. While its exploration of religious themes and disturbing imagery is undoubtedly its focal point, there's an unexpected moment of levity that, for me, stands out in stark contrast to the rest of the film . It also couldn't be further from Immaculate 's harrowing ending , yet somehow works within the overall context of the movie.

One particular scene provides a brief respite from Immaculate 's oppressive atmosphere. This tonal shift is reminiscent of the similarly comedic moments in my favorite nun movie, The Little Hours . Both films, while sharing a convent setting, take vastly different approaches to the material . While Immaculate ultimately leans into the horror, The Little Hours embraces its comedic potential with gusto – revealing that the Sydney Sweeney horror could have been a very different kind of movie with only a slight adjustment.

One Scene From Immaculate Mirrors A Memorable Sequence From The Little Hours

Immaculate is for the most part serious and disturbing — at times I thought its sincerity was almost to its detriment considering the delightfully ludicrous plot — but one particular scene stands in comic contrast to the rest. When Sister Cecilia is adjusting to life in the convent, there is a montage of chores that is a complete tonal shift for just a few minutes of the movie. The usually ethereal vocal soundtrack changes to an upbeat harpsichord as Cecilia and the other sisters learn about how best to arrange the laundry so that it dries faster, and she is tasked with beheading a chicken.

I can’t help but find this reminiscent of the comedy in the medieval romp The Little Hours — which, much like Sweeney in Immaculate , Aubrey Plaza both starred in and co-produced. This chore montage may have been included in Immaculate for comic relief, but the horror in the subversive gothic bordered on naïve camp so often that the deliberately comedic chores scene looked out of place . Compared to the sincere terror, it seems like the film isn’t sure what direction it wants to go in. However, I’m glad it ultimately focused on the horror, because the perfect nun comedy already exists.

Immaculate Review: Sydney Sweeney Is A Stellar Scream Queen In Weakly Written Religious Horror Story

In the moments the script takes giant leaps in its storytelling, Sydney Sweeney is right there to demonstrate her ability to perform.

The Little Hours Is An Underrated Nun Movie

The Little Hours ’ attention to detail makes it a wonderful period comedy — in the film's opening, Sister Ginevra asks Sister Fernanda why she’s wearing her black habit in the springtime, which challenges stereotypical nun aesthetics . This authenticity adds to the comedic appeal throughout. The opening scene establishes the nuns’ typical routine — subversively, and hilariously, this includes daily verbal abuse thrown at the farmer. Later, comedy is added to the tedious laundry chores (much like in Immaculate ) when Ginevra describes the entire process to Alessandra, who cheerfully concludes that she’ll leave the task with her.

Brie’s cheerful disposition contrasts perfectly with Plaza’s sullen deadpan.

Both movies use stunning pastoral shots. For Immaculate, this setting — filmed in and around Rome — adds a believable backdrop for the horror. For The Little Hours, also filmed in Italy, the gags interact with the setting masterfully . Further, the comedic leads lend their style to make it work as both a period and a modern comedy. Brie’s cheerful disposition contrasts perfectly with Plaza’s sullen deadpan. Rather than dwelling on punishment as in Immaculate , The Little Hours delights in the nuns’ spiritual and sexual transgressions and the laughable tribunal proceedings of the convent.

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6 New Movies Our Critics Are Talking About This Week

Whether you’re a casual moviegoer or an avid buff, our reviewers think these films are worth knowing about. (Though one missing movie, “Trap,” was not screened early for critics.)

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By The New York Times

Coloring inside the lines.

‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’

Directed by Carlos Saldanha, this adaptation of the children's book of the same name follows Harold (Zachary Levi) with the magical purple crayon that brings his drawings to life as he encounters adulthood and the real world.

From our review:

There’s a standard-issue single mom (Zooey Deschanel, whose visible exhaustion here is actually a little too credible) and her boy, Mel (Benjamin Bottani), whose life is in need of wonder. This wonder will arrive through a tool of “pure imagination” (they really say that!). That is, Harold’s purple crayon, whose concoctions add some not-insubstantial visual interest to the proceedings. One scene in a department store, in which an actual puma and a too-functional kid’s helicopter ride contribute some anarchic slapstick, is a keeper. But it might have been better still as contrived by Terry Gilliam. Or Edgar Wright. Or Spike Jonze.

In theaters. Read the full review .

In a pandemic, don’t kiss the chef.

During the 1918 influenza outbreak, a family led by the liberal journalist Jay (Billy Magnussen), hires a new chef Floyd Monk (Peter Sarsgaard), who disrupts the peace of their remote island estate in this satire from Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman.

As Monk lifts the veil enshrouding the estate’s hierarchy, he also emasculates Jay in the eyes of the household. This implication that virility trumps effeteness is, amid an otherwise straightforward comedy, an uncomfortably regressive way to tell the story of how people vie for power in hard times.

A gut punch from a refreshing angle.

‘rob peace’.

In this coming-of-age drama directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rob Peace (Jay Will) is torn between his studies at Yale and the legal troubles of his father (played by Ejiofor).

The cinematographer Ksenia Sereda adheres to a blend of low angle shots and varying close-ups, and the visuals help imbue Rob with power and vulnerability in equal measure. While the persistent voice-over of Rob reading his graduate school personal essay as narration seems tacked on rather than poignant, all told, the movie delivers a well-earned emotional gut punch that refreshingly does not come from perpetuating the physical and systemic violence it aims to shed light upon.

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Scream 6 - Review

Say it with me: core four.

This is a spoiler-free review of Scream VI, which releases in theaters March 15, 2023.

“Rebootquels will continue until morale improves” would be a great opener to this review, but I regret to inform the naysayers that morale is quite high and RadioSilence’s continuation of the Scream franchise is still going strong. In fact, it’s even better than Scream (2022) — which I gave a 9/10 for breathing life back into the franchise — though, there is one slight pitfall that keeps the sixth entry from achieving the elusive 10. But, while it is the Sidney Prescott of it all, it’s not what you think.

Part of what made Scream (2022) so successful was that it took the old, the new, and built the perfect foundation for a story that could continue without its original final girl (a task many horror franchises have tried and mostly failed). Scream 6 capitalizes on that, focusing on the return of Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and fan-favorite Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) as the legacies, and letting the “new” cast do its thing. The problem isn’t the absence of Neve Campbell’s Sidney, though. It’s that said absence is explained in a throwaway line that’s about as well delivered as it was written. Writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick nail it when it comes to everything else in this new chapter, but that particular explanation was handled about as well as Neve’s contract negotiations .

Sid’s absence does play into the overall theme of the film, though. Scream has always been about subverting horror tropes and playing in a space that both mocks and reveres its genre in equal measure. That continues in Scream 6, but this time it’s not about tackling horror as a whole. This time it’s full meta, and the butt of the joke is Scream itself. You’ll see plenty of shoutouts to your horror favorites both old and new sprinkled throughout the movie (you already saw plenty of them in the trailer alone), and none of the self-exploration feels over-the-top or like it’s making a mockery of Wes Craven’s legacy. Instead, it’s simply having a laugh at the tropes that the franchise itself has helped create in its own right after nearly 30 years and six entries. Some of the rules apply, but others? Others no longer matter at all. And are you going to have a blast learning which rule fits where.

The Core Four™ take more of a beating than the original three ever did, and there's never any real way of knowing who will manage to limp their way to the closing credits. 

Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) delivers her now customary monologue to give you a few hints on those rules. It’s a little redundant, mirroring Scream (2022) more than any other moment in the new film, but effective all the same. We’re not going to get into the nitty gritty of that monologue, but one thing the young Meeks-Martin highlights is that the gore must be amplified in a rebootquels’ sequel, and boy is it ever! The hits (stabs) just keep on coming, and no one is safe. The Core Four™ take more of a beating than the original three ever did, and there’s never any real way of knowing who will manage to limp their way to the closing credits. 

The heart and soul of Scream 6 is that aforementioned Core Four (made up of the Meeks-Martin twins and the Carpenter sisters). This chapter very intentionally ditches the standard Scream trope of splitting up its protagonists between movies to have them come together at the end of the first act and instead focuses on a story that keeps the survivors connected the whole time. This doesn’t just lead to you caring more about the main characters, but the people they love as well. Mindy’s only known her girlfriend Anika (Devyn Nekoda) for six months, but you’re concerned about her safety because you’re worried about a member of the Core Four’s wellbeing. The same can be said for Danny (Josh Segarra), Quinn (Liana Liberto) and Ethan (Jack Champion), but you’ll have to check out the movie to learn more about their connections to our leads! 

Scream 6 delivers with its secondary characters more than any franchise entry before it, as a matter of fact. And while some of the praise belongs to the closeness the writers give us to the Core Four, a not insignificant amount of the credit needs to go to the aforementioned actors. We’ve always loved Sid, Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale, but gone are the Mickeys (Timothy Olyphant) and Dereks (Jerry O’Connell) of Scream 2. It’d be a joy to see any of these players show their faces again in Scream 7, even if some are, well… quite dead.

While the character-driven story of Scream 6 is the primary reason for its success, it’s far from the only one. Some of the set pieces in this chapter will take your breath away, whether it’s the immaculate representation of an unbearably claustrophobic subway car or the jarring illustration of a person’s obsession in the Stab trophy room. Hell, even the confined space of Sam and Tara’s (Jenna Ortega) cramped apartment will get you in the New York state of mind (even if the film was shot in Montreal). Brett Jutkiewicz’s cinematography doesn’t disappoint, either. There are several scenes in the third act that marry the beautiful and the macabre in very exciting ways. This is especially true of the trophy room. Just the gift that keeps on giving, that!

The Verdict

Emotions and brutality are at an all-time high in Scream 6, setting it up to be the best sequel in the franchise yet. Though it does ultimately fumble the reason for Sidney Prescott’s absence, RadioSilence has officially proven that there’s a future for the franchise with or without its original final girl by giving us strong connections to the new Core Four.

Scream 6 Review

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Sandra lee blames her breakup with andrew cuomo on a mysterious comment he made.

This week in celebrity news, the “We Hear: Quick Fix” podcast covers:

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We Hear: Quick Fix is a week-in-review five-minute podcast from Page Six. Chief Reporter Francesca Bacardi breaks down the biggest stories of the week – including The Joy of Six, the most satisfying piece of gossip.

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Movie Review: ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ brings beloved book to life in a familiar story

This image released by Sony Pictures shows Zachary Levi in a scene from “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” (Sony Pictures via AP)

This image released by Sony Pictures shows Zachary Levi, background left, Benjamin Bottani, left, Lil Rel Howery, background right, and Zooey Deschanel in a scene from “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” (Sony Pictures via AP)

This image released by Sony Pictures shows Zachary Levi, right, and Lil Rel Howery in a scene from “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” (Sony Pictures via AP)

This image released by Sony Pictures shows a scene from “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” (Sony Pictures via AP)

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“Harold and the Purple Crayon,” the famed 1955 children’s picture book, is getting the three-dimensional treatment nearly 70 years after its release.

The picture book , written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson, follows Harold, a child who can create whatever he can imagine, so long as he draws it with his magic purple crayon. The film adaptation opens with a short animated sequence that gives life to the book’s famous illustrations. But how far can a children’s picture book stretch across an hour and a half-long movie? Not very.

After the film gets through the book’s story in about a minute, the narrator says that the book’s ending was not the close of Harold’s story. Cut to an animated adult Harold, all grown up but still in a onesie, with his purple sketched friends, Moose and Porcupine, as they venture around their two-dimensional existence and wonder what goes on in “the real world.”

After some brief exposition and short narration by Alfred Molina, Harold (Zachary Levi) draws a door labeled “Real World” and walks through it. He’s then miraculously spit out in Providence, Rhode Island, as a “real” person. Moose and Porcupine, played by Lil Rel Howery and Tanya Reynolds, respectively, follow through the magical door shortly after. Together, they embark on a mission to find the book’s narrator and author — the “old man,” as they call him — to ask him why he created them and their story.

What we get from there is something that feels like a hybrid of characters played by Amy Adams in “Enchanted” and Will Ferrell in “Elf”: an adult person who left their animated or fantasy world and is incredibly unfamiliar with reality. It’s an entertaining idea to see someone so naive navigating everyday life, but it feels rather derivative.

Much like her character in “Elf,” Zooey Deschanel plays Terry, a “real world” woman who is unenthused by our other-worldly protagonist’s antics for the better part of the movie. As the mother of the young and creative Mel (Benjamin Bottani), Terry hits Harold and Moose with her car, and eventually lets them stay at her house after some convincing from her son.

Predictably, shenanigans ensue as Harold lacks understanding of how to behave as the adult everyone sees him as (and wreaks havoc with his magic crayon). Levi is terribly earnest as Harold, making his hijinks more endearing.

Director Carlos Saldanha, an animation veteran who helmed the “Ice Age” franchise and the “Rio” movies, keeps the story moving with light humor and fun visuals sprinkled throughout. The imaginative animation over the live-action shots is the movie’s highlight, as Harold can still create anything with his purple crayon in the real world. With more colors and dimensions to play with now, he draws everything from a plane they fly over Rhode Island to Mel’s imaginary pet, which is some sort of dragon-lizard hybrid.

The plot, again, feels familiar when we meet the villain, librarian Gary, who wants to wield the powers of the crayon to feed his self-serving interests. Gary (Jemaine Clement) uses the crayon to make the fantasy world of his failing book come to life so he can get “revenge” on the publishers who turned it down. As far as conflict goes, it falls a little flat, but it does result in a sweet lesson of empathy; Gary says he just wanted to be in a place where he can fit in and Harold, using the crayon for good, creates that world for him.

While much of the movie may feel well-worn, I’d wager many copies of “Harold and the Purple Crayon” have seen better days. It’s the kind of children’s book that’s stayed on shelves through multiple generations. Even if the book’s story has been told and the movie’s format has been done before, a movie that reminds us to be imaginative — and that delivers some imaginative visuals to boot — can’t really get old.

“Harold and the Purple Crayon,” a Columbia Pictures release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for mild action and thematic elements. Running time: 92 minutes. Two stars out of four.